Homeward Bound

[tracy123]

LOL, dont believe all you read in the Daily Fail. Australia is just another first world country with, currently, a third world government.

 

I suggest most people move to UK because of the better opportunities for themselves and their kids. Most of them want their lives back instead of groundhog day here.

 

:biglaugh: :biglaugh:

 

Come on Quoll, groundhog day happens all around the world even the UK..... Some would even say that Australia offers themselves and their children a better way of life.... shock horror :wideeyed:

 

I can tell your ready for a return home for a few weeks. I'd say England is your drug of choice (to keep you happy and on a high) :wubclub:

[bryansc]

LOL, dont believe all you read in the Daily Fail. Australia is just another first world country with, currently, a third world government.

 

I suggest most people move to UK because of the better opportunities for themselves and their kids. Most of them want their lives back instead of groundhog day here.

 

I have yet to experience living in Australia..... and just like GaryS, I wish I hadn't looked at this forum!!!!!! We have sale agreed our house (which is an achievement in itself!!), and when contracts are signed, the idea is to move to Melbourne. But I am having second thoughts now....... Quoll I see that you live in Canberra and talk about your life as ground-hog day, but I feel that is the way my life is here in the U.K. I don't think it matters where you live, everyone does the same things to survive, eat, work and sleep...... and sometimes a bit of fun to keep us going. Catherine

[tracy123]

I have yet to experience living in Australia..... and just like GaryS, I wish I hadn't looked at this forum!!!!!! We have sale agreed our house (which is an achievement in itself!!), and when contracts are signed, the idea is to move to Melbourne. But I am having second thoughts now....... Quoll I see that you live in Canberra and talk about your life as ground-hog day, but I feel that is the way my life is here in the U.K. I don't think it matters where you live, everyone does the same things to survive, eat, work and sleep...... and sometimes a bit of fun to keep us going. Catherine

 

try reading this thread :wubclub:

 

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/83233-those-us-love-life-down-under-7.html

[mrsindecision]

try reading this thread :wubclub:

 

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/83233-those-us-love-life-down-under-7.html

 

It's not about being for or against Uk or OZ more about having open eyes about what both countries have to offer and what that means to your particular family and circumstances. I am glad we did it despite it not being what we wanted long term - we have an appreciation for living abroad and also the beauty of home.:biggrin:

[bryansc]

try reading this thread :wubclub:

 

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/83233-those-us-love-life-down-under-7.html

 

THANK YOU Geoffrey... I will keep that link and look back at it every time I have second thoughts. Catherine

[Conniebygaslight]

Hi, I never would have looked at the MBTTUK forums when we were moving to Oz. We have been back in the UK for 3 weeks and if we had come back for a visit we would be going back to Oz now...perish the thought.

 

 

Nobody can answer the question about if you are making the right decision about moving to Oz but as I've said time and time again if you have a good life in the UK (a job, family or friends good schools) then I don't believe that Australia can offer you any more. Yes you have the weather but you give up an awful lot for sunshine. The sheer vastness of the place makes it incredibly hard to get to anwhere and the lack of population means very little in infrastructure and choice in services etc (compared to the UK).

 

I didn't miss friends in the UK desperately and made lovely friends in Oz. My husband earned a very good salary and we left no family in the UK. We just missed being part of the real world and everything that is England (if someone had have said that to us 12 months ago we would have thought they were mad particularly since my husband is Australian and we had been many,many times before).

 

I would just say that if you are hoping for a 'better life' then just quantiy to yourself what that actually means...be careful before you give up your entire emotional life for a swimming pool. The crime, government, drugs still exist in Australia.

 

Some do love it though and if you are prepared to try in then go for it....just don't burn any (and I mean any) bridges.

[mrsindecision]

Hi, I never would have looked at the MBTTUK forums when we were moving to Oz. We have been back in the UK for 3 weeks and if we had come back for a visit we would be going back to Oz now...perish the thought.

 

 

Nobody can answer the question about if you are making the right decision about moving to Oz but as I've said time and time again if you have a good life in the UK (a job, family or friends good schools) then I don't believe that Australia can offer you any more. Yes you have the weather but you give up an awful lot for sunshine. The sheer vastness of the place makes it incredibly hard to get to anwhere and the lack of population means very little in infrastructure and choice in services etc (compared to the UK).

 

I didn't miss friends in the UK desperately and made lovely friends in Oz. My husband earned a very good salary and we left no family in the UK. We just missed being part of the real world and everything that is England (if someone had have said that to us 12 months ago we would have thought they were mad particularly since my husband is Australian and we had been many,many times before).

 

I would just say that if you are hoping for a 'better life' then just quantiy to yourself what that actually means...be careful before you give up your entire emotional life for a swimming pool. The crime, government, drugs still exist in Australia.

 

Some do love it though and if you are prepared to try in then go for it....just don't burn any (and I mean any) bridges.

 

Lovely post connie,

 

I remember last year heading down to the beach at easter by myself with my book for a couple of hours and everyone locally saying why the hell would I go to the beach at peak tourist time - however the thing was I loved it - busy, full of people, stuff happening - it was then I realised I need people and a sense of life around me which was really missing in Oz(except for tourist times and even then limited to beach activities). Just spent the weekend in Cambridge - eating at Jamie's (lush) pottering round the beautiful shops and streets, listening to buskers and wandering round beautiful kings college gazing at the architecture it was amazing - and all those cows everywhere (Quoll :biggrin:). England is really beautiful although I think we can all accept that sometimes you need to leave it to appreciate it fully.

[Guest GaryS]

As I said earlier I really hope things work out for you back in the UK. However, as a business owner in the UK and someone who has watched with disbelief at the destruction of so many good businesses by banks and other financial institutions in the past 2 years I would hazard a guess you will be in for some serious surprises in the coming months. In my opinion the UK is on a cliff edge, a double dip is inevitable, property prices will be effected, the public sector is about to be dismantled and interest rates WILL go back up. All in all I don't believe you are returning to the same country you left and the next two to three years are going to be very interesting. Like I say I hope things work out for all those returning home by I for one can't wait to get out. Stay positive Catherine. :-)

[Guest chris955]

Australia has much to offer as do most countries including the UK, what you have to be careful of is thinking you are somehow going to escape the issues you mention below. Binge drinking is a huge problem in Australia, fould mouthed youths are the same everywhere, knife crime...yes we have plenty of that in Oz but guns seem to be the weapon of choice. Unemployment is a few % lower in Australia but obviously how people are affected is very much dependant on where you are, here in the SW of the UK unemployment ios low and there are plwnty of jobs being advertised. A double dip recession is by no means a certainty or even a likelyhood when you read the quality papers. By all means choose to live in a different country but don't for 1 second assume that things are just going to be better.

 

Hi all, just logged on tonight for the first time and starting to wish I hadn't....LOL. I along with my wife and two small girls are on the verge of moving "down under". I have a job offer in NZ but also looking at setting up a business in OZ. I could go on for hours about the things wrong with the UK, economy, binge drinking foul mouthed youth's, knife crime, unemployment, lack of credit for businesses etc. etc. Compared with both NZ and Australia the UK seems to be in a complete mess and its going to get a whole lot worse in the next two years....a double dip is nailed on!! So a genuine question; why the move back "home"? Did you miss family and friends? Did you struggle to find work? Or was it something deeper than that, more generic with Australia and NZ? Really interested to know before we make the move.

 

Anyway, I really hope the UK is everything you remembered it was and wish you all the very best for the future.

 

Gary

[bryansc]

Australia has much to offer as do most countries including the UK, what you have to be careful of is thinking you are somehow going to escape the issues you mention below. Binge drinking is a huge problem in Australia, fould mouthed youths are the same everywhere, knife crime...yes we have plenty of that in Oz but guns seem to be the weapon of choice. Unemployment is a few % lower in Australia but obviously how people are affected is very much dependant on where you are, here in the SW of the UK unemployment ios low and there are plwnty of jobs being advertised. A double dip recession is by no means a certainty or even a likelyhood when you read the quality papers. By all means choose to live in a different country but don't for 1 second assume that things are just going to be better.

 

I wish I lived in the same part of the country you are at the minute!!!!! I'm glad to see there are plenty of jobs being advertised!!!! Here, where I live in N. Ireland, a job in a local shop was advertised - paying minimal wage and interviews went on for 3 days!!!! I know someone who had applied for at least 50 jobs and has had rejection letters for them all..... I am lucky I am in a job, I am employed as a midwife - got my job 3 years ago.... but if I were to apply now (even though there are midwives needed everywhere), I would be lucky to get one mostly due to funding. And as GaryS said, funding WILL be reduced over the next few years. As for moving to a different country, I don't think people assume that things are going to be better, we just HOPE they will be better........ Catherine

[Guest chris955]

I'm sorry to hear that, things do seem bad where you are. I was in Bath a few days ago and there seemed to be job vacancy ads in every other window, as I say unemployment is low down here in this region.

[Paul1Perth]

I have yet to experience living in Australia..... and just like GaryS, I wish I hadn't looked at this forum!!!!!! We have sale agreed our house (which is an achievement in itself!!), and when contracts are signed, the idea is to move to Melbourne. But I am having second thoughts now....... Quoll I see that you live in Canberra and talk about your life as ground-hog day, but I feel that is the way my life is here in the U.K. I don't think it matters where you live, everyone does the same things to survive, eat, work and sleep...... and sometimes a bit of fun to keep us going. Catherine

 

Hi Catherine,

Like you I noticed Quoll lives in Canberra. I have been there just once and it really reminded me of Milton Keynes. I was only there for a few nights in July and it was freezing cold. I intended going for a look round but only walked about 1km and headed back to the hotel. I'd forgotten what cold weather is like and how much I dislike it. Nothing like the Australia I know and love. Fear not.

 

We picked Perth when we emigrated as we had done lots of checking on climate, housing, lifestyle and it really appealed to us. We hadn't been to Australia before emigrating, didn't know anyone here and couldn't afford a reccie. We had a timeshare at the time in Portugal and we read a couple of articles comparing the coastline and climate to the Algarve and thought that will do us.

We were advised to go to Melbourne or Sydney when we emigrated as the job market there was much more buoyant at the time but we chose to ignore that advise as Perth just sounded much better and was a hell of a lot cheaper for houses at the time (92).

Granted, things have changed a lot since then and it's not as easy to emigrate now. The financials have turned a lot. We sold an end terraced house near Stockport for 50,000 pounds (about $125,000 in 92) and thought at the time they couldn't go up much more otherwise how would people get mortgages for them? We came out here and bought a 4 bed 2 bath detached home 2 mins by car from the beach for $120,000. That's not possible now I know, but I would still do the same move today and struggle knowing what type of lifestyle you can have. I've seen lots of people comment that the Aussie dream is just a dream. Well, for me, Australia and Perth in particular have been everything I thought they might be. When we first came we would say things like "somebody will come up to us soon and say they made a mistake and we have to go back" jockingly of course, as we couldn't believe how nice the place is. I know I'll get lots of negatives after this post and some will say it's all b*****ks but it's our personal experience and we love it.

 

I know you are planning to go to Melbourne but I've been there a few times and really like the place. The general opinion here is that you can get all 4 seasons in one day in Melbourne so it might be a bit like England if you live there for long periods. I've only visited a few times and have been lucky as the weather has been good whilst there.

 

Good Luck with your move,

Keep a positive outlook and treat it as an adventure.

[bryansc]

Hi Paul1Perth. Thank you for your post. It is good to hear both sides of the story. Maybe I should stay away from forums such as this where people, to put it politely, feel that Australia is not for them. I am not moving to Australia with rose tinted glasses - forums such as this prevent this from happening that is why it is good to read posts such as Tracy123 and mrsindecision's feelings on the subject, as they seem to look objectively at the pros and cons of living in Oz and the UK. Catherine

[tracy123]

It's not about being for or against Uk or OZ more about having open eyes about what both countries have to offer and what that means to your particular family and circumstances. I am glad we did it despite it not being what we wanted long term - we have an appreciation for living abroad and also the beauty of home.:biggrin:

 

You are right, but sometimes it's all about balance...... It's great with everything in life to question things and walk in with your eyes wide open but sometimes you also need that little pat on the back.

I think the one thing we all share is, Are we doing the right thing? And if all we read is negatives, all it is going to do is maybe put a lot more unwanted doubt in someones mind.

I think people need to read the positives as well as the negatives about Australia and lets face it sometimes the positives can get lost. :wubclub:

[Conniebygaslight]

You are right, but sometimes it's all about balance...... It's great with everything in life to question things and walk in with your eyes wide open but sometimes you also need that little pat on the back.

I think the one thing we all share is, Are we doing the right thing? And if all we read is negatives, all it is going to do is maybe put a lot more unwanted doubt in someones mind.

I think people need to read the positives as well as the negatives about Australia and lets face it sometimes the positives can get lost. :wubclub:

 

 

Mmmm perhaps on a thread started by someone who left Australia because they prefered the UK is not really the place to be looking for Oz positives really.

 

My view is my view there are plenty of threads with extremely positive things about Oz. If someone asks me why I came back I'm not going to dress it up to ensure I put a positive spin on it funnily enough I don't go onto the welcome forums posting negative things either.

[tracy123]

Mmmm perhaps on a thread started by someone who left Australia because they prefered the UK is not really the place to be looking for Oz positives really.

 

My view is my view there are plenty of threads with extremely positive things about Oz. If someone asks me why I came back I'm not going to dress it up to ensure I put a positive spin on it funnily enough I don't go onto the welcome forums posting negative things either.

 

Well Conny if my post was directed at you I could understand your comments :wink:

 

Plenty of negative posts get left on positive threads that's the joys of life, you love the UK :notworthy: respect for you, I don't think you have posted anything bad about Australia, you consider the UK home and good for you..... I'm not asking you to sugarcoat anything am I?

[bryansc]

Mmmm perhaps on a thread started by someone who left Australia because they prefered the UK is not really the place to be looking for Oz positives really.

 

My view is my view there are plenty of threads with extremely positive things about Oz. If someone asks me why I came back I'm not going to dress it up to ensure I put a positive spin on it funnily enough I don't go onto the welcome forums posting negative things either.

 

Conniebygaslight..... I have read your previous post and I thought you were pretty objective, advising people to go for it if that is what they wished.... But I think you are missing the point.... People wishing to emigrate to Australia are not wishing to go there with as I have said before "rose tinted" glasses. We don't wish to read everything that is positive about Australia. We want to read about the pros and cons of making this huge move. Reading posts from people who seem to be so depressed that they are not looking at things objectively does not help. So again I thank Tracy 123 and others who help me to think objectively about my move as I know it won't be a bed of roses. It will be hard work. Catherine

[Conniebygaslight]

Conniebygaslight..... I have read your previous post and I thought you were pretty objective, advising people to go for it if that is what they wished.... But I think you are missing the point.... People wishing to emigrate to Australia are not wishing to go there with as I have said before "rose tinted" glasses. We don't wish to read everything that is positive about Australia. We want to read about the pros and cons of making this huge move. Reading posts from people who seem to be so depressed that they are not looking at things objectively does not help. So again I thank Tracy 123 and others who help me to think objectively about my move as I know it won't be a bed of roses. It will be hard work. Catherine

 

 

Catherine,

 

I'm sure that the people who are so depressed and therefore perhaps not looking at things objectively will not really be bothered wether they are helping or not, being depressed because you feel trapped is a terrible thing. Incidentally I wasn't depressed (nor have I ever used the term rose tinted glasses)and my views are purely subjective as surely is every single view on here.

 

A previous poster asked why we have returned and I have tried to answer without being too blunt. The people who want to move will want to hear positives, it doesn't mean they where rose tinted glasses, it means they are human.

 

Would I have listened to anone else? no I don't think I would as I/we needed to experience it for ourselves....yes it can be very hard work but it boils down to whether leaving what you have and what you are is really worth it and for us it simply wasn't.

 

I was merely offering a word of caution based upon my own (and that of many people I know ) experiences. If that isn't helpful to you then I'm afraid maybe the MBTTUK isn't the place to look.

[bryansc]

Catherine,

 

I'm sure that the people who are so depressed and therefore perhaps not looking at things objectively will not really be bothered wether they are helping or not, being depressed because you feel trapped is a terrible thing. Incidentally I wasn't depressed (nor have I ever used the term rose tinted glasses)and my views are purely subjective as surely is every single view on here.

 

A previous poster asked why we have returned and I have tried to answer without being too blunt. The people who want to move will want to hear positives, it doesn't mean they where rose tinted glasses, it means they are human.

 

Would I have listened to anone else? no I don't think I would as I/we needed to experience it for ourselves....yes it can be very hard work but it boils down to whether leaving what you have and what you are is really worth it and for us it simply wasn't.

 

I was merely offering a word of caution based upon my own (and that of many people I know ) experiences. If that isn't helpful to you then I'm afraid maybe the MBTTUK isn't the place to look.

 

 

 

 

Conniebygaslight, I was not referring to yourself when I was talking about being depressed (and am truly sorry if you think that).... and feeling trapped IS a terrible thing. Just like yourself, we have to experience moving to Australia for ourselves.... and maybe like you we might find it isn't for us. And if this happens, I hope I can give a reply that does not put people off from trying it for themselves. Catherine

[mrsindecision]

Conniebygaslight, I was not referring to yourself when I was talking about being depressed (and am truly sorry if you think that).... and feeling trapped IS a terrible thing. Just like yourself, we have to experience moving to Australia for ourselves.... and maybe like you we might find it isn't for us. And if this happens, I hope I can give a reply that does not put people off from trying it for themselves. Catherine

 

Hi Catherine, very good luck with your move - I wish I had taken a little more heed of some of the negative comments I read before going to Oz (or more realistically wish my husband had!!) we are in a situation now with one son still there (heartbreaking) - potentially facing astronomical international uni fees (didn't know about that before I went ) of wait for it...........87K (medicine!) and our marriage has been hanging on by a thread at many points on the journey. Not saying that any of this would be relevant for you - but there maybe others out there with teenagers at crucial points in their lives or a marriage they hope will be saved by the move who might want to weigh up the pros and cons more realistically before going. I hope once we have all the problems of returning sorted out (uni, house, dog, jobs etc) that we will look back on the experience as a valuable one but personally wish I had done it 15 years earlier or left it for another 15 years and a more objective analysis of the situation might have helped us make that decision.

 

Anyway genuinely good luck - you will hopefully have a blast and be one of the people who really love it.

[bryansc]

Hi mrsindecision..... Thank you for your great post.... It is more relevant to me than you will ever know!! I am just wondering is that 87thousand dollars or pounds? Catherine

[mrsindecision]

Hi mrsindecision..... Thank you for your great post.... It is more relevant to me than you will ever know!! I am just wondering is that 87thousand dollars or pounds? Catherine

 

thank you - hope it has helped - pounds I am afraid - just arguing our case at the moment - have done ok for middle son he is classed as a home student but the eldest who is finishing first degree in Oz looks like it could be tougher (older and been there longer).

 

PM me if you need any specifics.

 

all the best

[Quoll]

Conniebygaslight..... I have read your previous post and I thought you were pretty objective, advising people to go for it if that is what they wished.... But I think you are missing the point.... People wishing to emigrate to Australia are not wishing to go there with as I have said before "rose tinted" glasses. We don't wish to read everything that is positive about Australia. We want to read about the pros and cons of making this huge move. Reading posts from people who seem to be so depressed that they are not looking at things objectively does not help. So again I thank Tracy 123 and others who help me to think objectively about my move as I know it won't be a bed of roses. It will be hard work. Catherine

 

I suspect most people wanting to move to Australia are doing so with their rose tints on with all due respect. When the bulk of the posts waffle on about getting the "golden ticket" for a "new life" so they can "live the dream" so pardon me if I take the p*ss.

 

If you want to come here for an adventure or an opportunity not to be missed then go for it. However, dont underestimate the tyranny of distance for starters. My reference to groundhog day was because it is hard to find new things to do within cooee once you have been here for a while - there is, objectively, far more to do in UK within easy travelling distance of almost anywhere. Despite Paul's assertions, Canberra is actually one of the better places in Aus to live - seasons, not big city but bigger than a country town, close enough to beaches, snowfields and big cities, good transport, reasonable education, great facilities. Absolutely nothing like MK (except for the concrete zebras just outside town LOL). Distance and variety IMHO is even far more of an issue in Perth (not a place I would choose to live, beautiful though it may be) than it is pretty much anywhere on the east coast.

 

People think the sunshine is going to solve all their problems - I guess it may, for some. However they dont stop to think about the downsides of sunshine and heat. The older I get, the less able I am to cope with the heat and like many Aussies find that summer is a constant search for airconditioning just to be comfortable and if we have hot nights (they do in Melbourne, so beware) then a few nights of sleeplessness doesnt do much for your equanimity either. Australian houses arent built to cope well with the extremes of temperature unfortunately and it is easy to be freezing or frying and having to pay handsomely for the privilege of warming yourself up or cooling yourself down. Having kids playing outside is a nightmare - they have to be either slathered in sunscreen (how good is that for a growing child???) or covered up - interesting that rickets (lack of Vit D) is actually very common in Australia!!! If you accidentally let your kid get burned (easy to do) then you live on tenterhooks with fears of melanoma for years!

 

Until recently most of south eastern Aus has been in the grip of a drought - lovely, you may say, no rain. Hmm, well when your water is rationed and your water rates are through the roof you do begin to have a bit of a different view of life. There are many who have committed suicide because there hasnt been enough rain to support their lives on the land and even the most urban of us scan the BOM site for big patches of blue and pray that the water will land on our bit to turn the grass from brown to green again. Meanwhile in the north of the country they have altogether too much rain and there are been devastating floods pretty much every year. So we lurch from disaster to disaster on a regular basis - bushfires to floods and back again.

 

Crime is about the same here as it is in UK - probably more gun crime here and certainly in our locality knives are popular (especially amongst the Asian community). School bullying is endemic and the suicide rate and other mental health disorders amongst our adolescent population is an indictment. Better opportunities for kids are always touted as being the reason for coming - different opportunities, sure but better? That may be why so many young Aussies cant wait to escape once they have the skills/money to do so. Many end up staying away and those with dual citizenship for Europe are particularly lucky with their options.

 

Politically we are heading down the track that the UK went 13 years ago - we have an ineffectual leftist government supported by a load of green and independents. The nett result will be a continuation of the nanny state and reduction of individual freedoms. Personally I doubt their capacity if the world has to weather a double dip recession, they ballsed up the first one and left us in debt again.

 

I quite enjoyed living here for the first 10 years, it was an adventure, we travelled widely, had friends etc but then it was time to go home. We didnt and I bitterly regret that. We have certainly been successful here but there is no joy in it. I have few friends - friendships have been easy to make but with the itinerant nature of the place, they have not been easy to retain and as one moves out of developmental stages or workplaces so the friendships fizzle (unlike those I have back in UK which share a much stronger common bond)

 

I've no objection to people coming here but to dress it up as Utopia on a stick is just plain silly. Sure, if you are coming from central Bradford to Coolangatta then of course it is going to be better but a move out of central Bradford to any number of other places in UK would probably have been just as beneficial especially if people put just half as much effort as they do trying to get to Australia. Australia is just another first world country with all the benefits and pitfalls of any other first world country.

 

Sorry, OP - will get off my soap box now. I am sure you guys are absolutely relishing getting your life back!

[Guest guest36762]

I suspect most people wanting to move to Australia are doing so with their rose tints on with all due respect. When the bulk of the posts waffle on about getting the "golden ticket" for a "new life" so they can "live the dream" so pardon me if I take the p*ss.

 

If you want to come here for an adventure or an opportunity not to be missed then go for it. However, dont underestimate the tyranny of distance for starters. My reference to groundhog day was because it is hard to find new things to do within cooee once you have been here for a while - there is, objectively, far more to do in UK within easy travelling distance of almost anywhere. Despite Paul's assertions, Canberra is actually one of the better places in Aus to live - seasons, not big city but bigger than a country town, close enough to beaches, snowfields and big cities, good transport, reasonable education, great facilities. Absolutely nothing like MK (except for the concrete zebras just outside town LOL). Distance and variety IMHO is even far more of an issue in Perth (not a place I would choose to live, beautiful though it may be) than it is pretty much anywhere on the east coast.

 

People think the sunshine is going to solve all their problems - I guess it may, for some. However they dont stop to think about the downsides of sunshine and heat. The older I get, the less able I am to cope with the heat and like many Aussies find that summer is a constant search for airconditioning just to be comfortable and if we have hot nights (they do in Melbourne, so beware) then a few nights of sleeplessness doesnt do much for your equanimity either. Australian houses arent built to cope well with the extremes of temperature unfortunately and it is easy to be freezing or frying and having to pay handsomely for the privilege of warming yourself up or cooling yourself down. Having kids playing outside is a nightmare - they have to be either slathered in sunscreen (how good is that for a growing child???) or covered up - interesting that rickets (lack of Vit D) is actually very common in Australia!!! If you accidentally let your kid get burned (easy to do) then you live on tenterhooks with fears of melanoma for years!

 

Until recently most of south eastern Aus has been in the grip of a drought - lovely, you may say, no rain. Hmm, well when your water is rationed and your water rates are through the roof you do begin to have a bit of a different view of life. There are many who have committed suicide because there hasnt been enough rain to support their lives on the land and even the most urban of us scan the BOM site for big patches of blue and pray that the water will land on our bit to turn the grass from brown to green again. Meanwhile in the north of the country they have altogether too much rain and there are been devastating floods pretty much every year. So we lurch from disaster to disaster on a regular basis - bushfires to floods and back again.

 

Crime is about the same here as it is in UK - probably more gun crime here and certainly in our locality knives are popular (especially amongst the Asian community). School bullying is endemic and the suicide rate and other mental health disorders amongst our adolescent population is an indictment. Better opportunities for kids are always touted as being the reason for coming - different opportunities, sure but better? That may be why so many young Aussies cant wait to escape once they have the skills/money to do so. Many end up staying away and those with dual citizenship for Europe are particularly lucky with their options.

 

Politically we are heading down the track that the UK went 13 years ago - we have an ineffectual leftist government supported by a load of green and independents. The nett result will be a continuation of the nanny state and reduction of individual freedoms. Personally I doubt their capacity if the world has to weather a double dip recession, they ballsed up the first one and left us in debt again.

 

I quite enjoyed living here for the first 10 years, it was an adventure, we travelled widely, had friends etc but then it was time to go home. We didnt and I bitterly regret that. We have certainly been successful here but there is no joy in it. I have few friends - friendships have been easy to make but with the itinerant nature of the place, they have not been easy to retain and as one moves out of developmental stages or workplaces so the friendships fizzle (unlike those I have back in UK which share a much stronger common bond)

 

I've no objection to people coming here but to dress it up as Utopia on a stick is just plain silly. Sure, if you are coming from central Bradford to Coolangatta then of course it is going to be better but a move out of central Bradford to any number of other places in UK would probably have been just as beneficial especially if people put just half as much effort as they do trying to get to Australia. Australia is just another first world country with all the benefits and pitfalls of any other first world country.

 

Sorry, OP - will get off my soap box now. I am sure you guys are absolutely relishing getting your life back!

 

Quoll

how dare you be so negative!

all those people wanting to escape the UK to live the dream might read this and think, 'is it all a load of old bollocks?'

[Paul1Perth]

I suspect most people wanting to move to Australia are doing so with their rose tints on with all due respect. When the bulk of the posts waffle on about getting the "golden ticket" for a "new life" so they can "live the dream" so pardon me if I take the p*ss.

 

If you want to come here for an adventure or an opportunity not to be missed then go for it. However, dont underestimate the tyranny of distance for starters. My reference to groundhog day was because it is hard to find new things to do within cooee once you have been here for a while - there is, objectively, far more to do in UK within easy travelling distance of almost anywhere. Despite Paul's assertions, Canberra is actually one of the better places in Aus to live - seasons, not big city but bigger than a country town, close enough to beaches, snowfields and big cities, good transport, reasonable education, great facilities. Absolutely nothing like MK (except for the concrete zebras just outside town LOL). Distance and variety IMHO is even far more of an issue in Perth (not a place I would choose to live, beautiful though it may be) than it is pretty much anywhere on the east coast.

 

People think the sunshine is going to solve all their problems - I guess it may, for some. However they dont stop to think about the downsides of sunshine and heat. The older I get, the less able I am to cope with the heat and like many Aussies find that summer is a constant search for airconditioning just to be comfortable and if we have hot nights (they do in Melbourne, so beware) then a few nights of sleeplessness doesnt do much for your equanimity either. Australian houses arent built to cope well with the extremes of temperature unfortunately and it is easy to be freezing or frying and having to pay handsomely for the privilege of warming yourself up or cooling yourself down. Having kids playing outside is a nightmare - they have to be either slathered in sunscreen (how good is that for a growing child???) or covered up - interesting that rickets (lack of Vit D) is actually very common in Australia!!! If you accidentally let your kid get burned (easy to do) then you live on tenterhooks with fears of melanoma for years!

 

Until recently most of south eastern Aus has been in the grip of a drought - lovely, you may say, no rain. Hmm, well when your water is rationed and your water rates are through the roof you do begin to have a bit of a different view of life. There are many who have committed suicide because there hasnt been enough rain to support their lives on the land and even the most urban of us scan the BOM site for big patches of blue and pray that the water will land on our bit to turn the grass from brown to green again. Meanwhile in the north of the country they have altogether too much rain and there are been devastating floods pretty much every year. So we lurch from disaster to disaster on a regular basis - bushfires to floods and back again.

 

Crime is about the same here as it is in UK - probably more gun crime here and certainly in our locality knives are popular (especially amongst the Asian community). School bullying is endemic and the suicide rate and other mental health disorders amongst our adolescent population is an indictment. Better opportunities for kids are always touted as being the reason for coming - different opportunities, sure but better? That may be why so many young Aussies cant wait to escape once they have the skills/money to do so. Many end up staying away and those with dual citizenship for Europe are particularly lucky with their options.

 

Politically we are heading down the track that the UK went 13 years ago - we have an ineffectual leftist government supported by a load of green and independents. The nett result will be a continuation of the nanny state and reduction of individual freedoms. Personally I doubt their capacity if the world has to weather a double dip recession, they ballsed up the first one and left us in debt again.

 

I quite enjoyed living here for the first 10 years, it was an adventure, we travelled widely, had friends etc but then it was time to go home. We didnt and I bitterly regret that. We have certainly been successful here but there is no joy in it. I have few friends - friendships have been easy to make but with the itinerant nature of the place, they have not been easy to retain and as one moves out of developmental stages or workplaces so the friendships fizzle (unlike those I have back in UK which share a much stronger common bond)

 

I've no objection to people coming here but to dress it up as Utopia on a stick is just plain silly. Sure, if you are coming from central Bradford to Coolangatta then of course it is going to be better but a move out of central Bradford to any number of other places in UK would probably have been just as beneficial especially if people put just half as much effort as they do trying to get to Australia. Australia is just another first world country with all the benefits and pitfalls of any other first world country.

 

Sorry, OP - will get off my soap box now. I am sure you guys are absolutely relishing getting your life back!

 

I guess Quoll and I are never going to agree but there are a few things in here which are questionable.

Canberra is actually one of the better places in Aus to live - seasons, not big city but bigger than a country town, close enough to beaches, snowfields and big cities, good transport, reasonable education, great facilities.

 

Canberra is quite close to snowfields and we certainly wouldn't be able to go snow skiing from Perth easily, but to say it is close enough to beaches is taking things a bit far. Batemans Bay is the closest, 2 hours drive away. If you were that far away from a beach (as we were in England) you only go there during summer holidays. Even living 30 mins drive away from a beach is enough to put people off visiting. We live 2mins away so we can pop down to a really nice beach on a whim. There are lots of cafes, restaurants, pubs which make the most of the location.

 

 

having to pay handsomely for the privilege of warming yourself up or cooling yourself down. Having kids playing outside is a nightmare - they have to be either slathered in sunscreen (how good is that for a growing child???) or covered up - interesting that rickets (lack of Vit D) is actually very common in Australia!!!

 

You have to pay handsomely in the UK to warm yourself up so this is going to be the same in either country (apart from cooling yourself down which wouldn't apply so much to the UK). I've not experienced the nightmare of having kids play outside. They do have to wear sunscreen a lot of the time but very rarely during the winter months. It's common sense when you spend as much time as we do at the beach. Rickets is a common problem (it is in the UK too) but I think that is more to do with the kids spending so much time indoors playing on computer games and checking out facebook and the like.

 

well when your water is rationed and your water rates are through the roof you do begin to have a bit of a different view of life.

 

Water rationing in Perth means restrictions on when you can have reticulation on the garden. If you saw how much water gets wasted on watering lawns and gardens when you're not used to it you would be amazed. Water rates are expensive and will get more expensive wherever you are. Water rationing has been around in the UK for years and the UK has been recycling water for years (sewage processed through sewage farms and goes straight back into the river system). I used to work for Severn Trent Water Authority.

 

So we lurch from disaster to disaster on a regular basis - bushfires to floods and back again.

 

Depends where you choose to live. Not seen any disasters around Perth all the time we have been here. There was a pretty bad hailstorm a few months ago. Fair anough there have been bushfires where a lot of people have died but that is like comparing where you live in the UK and then finding some disaster in the whole of Europe and then making out it's on your doorstep.

 

School bullying is endemic and the suicide rate and other mental health disorders amongst our adolescent population is an indictment. Better opportunities for kids are always touted as being the reason for coming - different opportunities, sure but better? That may be why so many young Aussies cant wait to escape once they have the skills/money to do so. Many end up staying away and those with dual citizenship for Europe are particularly lucky with their options.

 

Both my kids have gone through school here (one is still in school) and the bullying situation is certainly no worse than in the UK. Going from personal experience the school I was at in the UK was bad. The ones my kids have attended have been fine. As for opportunities again it depends where you are from in the UK. I have read a few posts where some areas of the UK are fine but it's the same old story. The South of England seems to be doing OK but the North is really struggling. I have written in other posts what my eldest is up to and the opportunities available here so if anyone wants to follow it up it's there.

So many young Aussies want to travel (including my eldest) because they can. It seems to be the thng to do now. Why not travel around and see the world whilst you are still young. Dual citizenship is a bonus and opens up a lot of options. It doesn't mean to say they are running away from Oz. I have a few friends at work who have done the travelling round Europe and working holidays but they have been happy to return to Aus and Perth when they feel like settling down and getting a real job.

 

Politically we are heading down the track that the UK went 13 years ago - we have an ineffectual leftist government supported by a load of green and independents. The nett result will be a continuation of the nanny state and reduction of individual freedoms. Personally I doubt their capacity if the world has to weather a double dip recession, they ballsed up the first one and left us in debt again.

 

We were one of the few countries not to really suffer an affect from the global recession. The government was praised widely around the world for the actions they took. If you blame the government when things go wrong you must surely give them a bit of credit when things go right. I'm not a massive political supporter of either party. I think one is as bad as the other and we were just lucky and have massive amounts of natural resources which every other country needs. I don't think it would have mattered which government was in power and I dont think it matters much now. Aus is in a lucky position and especially WA where most of the natural resources are. The government the UK has in now is not exactly filling everyone with confidence.

 

friendships have been easy to make but with the itinerant nature of the place, they have not been easy to retain and as one moves out of developmental stages or workplaces so the friendships fizzle (unlike those I have back in UK which share a much stronger common bond)

 

Maybe the itinerant nature of Canberra workers but where we live we have just as strong friendships as we had in the UK. Our circle of friends don't move around much at all, maybe because they are a bit older and settled. We have a lot of interests in common. Maybe that's the common bond Quoll is talking about. I have friends at work but don't socialise with them a lot.

 

I'm not the only person who has noticed the likeness of Canberra to Milton Keynes I have had quite a few poms mention that exact same thing. Man made lake and all. I reckon there would be a few people surprised to hear about the snow fields though. There are quite a few who wouldn't even realise you can have a fairly good skiing season here. They thing it's all sunshine and beaches lol.